5 key details about the Eric Thompson case as 'The Bucket Hat Killer' on Dateline

Dateline examines the Eric Thompson case tied to the 2022 shooting of Oahu acupuncturist Jon Tokuhara, a crime that drew attention for a white bucket hat seen on surveillance video. The episode frames how investigators moved from rumors about a love affair to a courtroom outcome and sentence.

The episode titled The Bucket Hat Mystery, is Season 34, Episode 2, and aired on October 3, 2025. Keith Morrison sets the stage in Waipahu and outlines the core question the case raised for neighbors and friends. The Dateline episode traces the shock that followed Tokuhara’s death and the search for whoever pulled the trigger.

Case background on Dateline: The Bucket Hat Mystery

Tokuhara, 47, was found inside his Waipahu clinic by his mother on January 13, 2022. The small community grieved a caregiver who was well known locally. The discovery triggered an inquiry into motive and suspects.

Investigators soon examined the victim’s personal life and, reportedly, an affair involving Eric Thompson’s wife, Joyce. That line of inquiry brought detectives to surveillance video near the clinic and to a white bucket hat seen on the footage. Trials followed.

A jury later convicted Thompson of second-degree murder and a firearm count, and a judge sentenced him to life with the possibility of parole after a 15-year minimum, with the firearm term running at the same time. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported those sentencing details and the concurrent 20-year term for the weapon offense.

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5 key details about the Eric Thompson case on Dateline

1) A clinic killing that shook Waipahu

Tokuhara was found on the clinic floor with fatal gunshot wounds to the face at close range. The setting pointed to a targeted attack rather than a random act. According to NBC News, his mother’s discovery and the quick spread of word in the neighborhood framed the case from the opening moments.

2) Motive tied to an alleged affair

Detectives, and later prosecutors, focused on an alleged affair between Tokuhara and Joyce Thompson that had reportedly ended months earlier. In court, the state argued this history supplied motive and context for the shooting.

Hawaii News Now reported that prosecutors told jurors Thompson was the person with both motive and means, while the defense disputed that claim and pointed to other possibilities.

3) The bucket hat and the video trail

A white bucket hat seen on video became a key piece of evidence at trial (Image via YouTube/@DatelineNBC)

Key footage showed a man in a white bucket hat moving near the clinic around the time of the killing. Prosecutors said the clothing, vehicle sightings, and DNA from a recovered hat pointed to Thompson. Trial coverage described the state’s presentation of the surveillance path and the identification theory built on that evidence.

4) A disputed alibi at trial

Thompson maintained he was at the Waimanalo Convenience Center around the time Tokuhara was killed. The defense challenged the timeline and pressed jurors to consider other suspects tied to the victim’s relationships. According to Hawaii News Now, the state stated that the alibi could not be confirmed and urged jurors to consider the video, clothing, and DNA findings.

Keith Morrison in Talking Dateline (Image via YouTube/@DatelineNBC)

5) Verdict and sentence

After his first trial ended in a mistrial, the second trial concluded with a guilty verdict on February 25, 2025. Thompson later received life with the possibility of parole, plus a concurrent 20-year firearm term, with a mandatory minimum of 15 years before parole eligibility. Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported the conviction date and sentencing outcome, noting the court’s decision to keep the terms concurrent.

Dateline: The Bucket Hat Mystery is available to stream on Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus, NBC, and fuboTV. Select Dateline episodes are available for free with ads on The Roku Channel and Spectrum On Demand.

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Edited by Preethika Vijayakumar